Month: January 2011

The Warriors’ Friday night meltdown against Charlotte was a stark warning. If the Warriors want to be relevant, they need to outgrown their soft, sloppy, defenseless play. Sunday night against a Williams-less Jazz was a golden opportunity not only for redemption, but to show a different face then the one that got pummeled a few nights earlier. The team we saw in the first half looked far too familiar for comfort, squandering whatever lead they could build with careless, unfocused play. But the second half held two surprises. The first got the Warriors the lead, the second let them hold it.

Due to a conflict, I passed my tickets to Wednesday’s game to a friend, gratis. After the game I got an email from him asking for his money back. Regardless of what you paid to see the Warriors’ 112-103 loss to the Hornets, the only thing worth any of your money was Chris Paul’s commanding performance. The Warriors’ defense was laughably lax — allowing the Hornets to shoot above 60% for the entire game (down from their scorching 80% rate for most of the first quarter). The bench should have been charged for their seats given their spectator-like production. This is the type of game that leaves fans grumbling. And I’m guessing the fan that paid $450 million for his seat is no exception.

Sometimes the game of basketball can be incredibly complex. But at its best, that complexity can look deceptively simple. The San Antonio Spurs rolled into Oakland with the NBA’s best record and certainly played the part. What was particularly impressive about the Spurs’ win was how measured and confident in their strategy the team looked, even as the Warriors surged ahead on some hot shooting. They just kept defending penetration, daring the Warriors to shoot outside jumpers and patiently working their own offense to get higher percentage inside and mid-range looks. That the Warriors lost to a 37-7 team is no shock. But the real question to ask after games like these is how do the Warriors get from here to there.

Despite the ups and downs, heroics and panics, the Warriors have been winning the games they’re supposed to win during the recent homestand. Saturday night on the road against the Clippers, they’ll get a tougher test — particularly with Monta Ellis doubtful. Joe Lacob has been very direct in his desire to see this team hit .500. Unless the Warriors figure out ways to win games like this one, it’s not going to happen. Still, if the last two games have shown us anything, it’s that this Warriors team is finally snatching victory from defeat, rather than their usual tendency towards the inverse. Continue Reading →

Mark Twain once observed “whatever you say, say it with conviction.” On Wednesday night tied up against the Pacers with the clock winding down, the Warriors didn’t hesitate. They got the ball to Monta Ellis and got out of the way. Ellis nursed the final seconds off the clock, stepped back and calmly drained the game winner. It was as mature, confident and clutch a shot as he’s ever hit. It looked good from the second it left his hand. Forget all the chatter about whether Ellis deserves to be an All Star. He’s letting his game — and the Warriors improving record — speak for itself.

Following a nice bounce-back win against the Clippers on Friday, the Warriors continue to win the games they’re supposed to win. So long as they keep capitalizing on this gentle stretch of schedule, there’s hope. Monday afternoon’s 109-100 win over the Nets was a decent encapsulation of where the Warriors currently stand: good enough to get a lead, not yet good enough to hold it.

The Warriors beat the Cavs last week by 18. The Lakers beat the Cavs last night by 55. By some (very questionable) logic, that should leave the Warriors tonight against the Lakers as … 37-point underdogs. The Warriors should be able to do better than that, although a win seems like a futile dream given both squads’ current play. Still, the Warriors need to show that they can bounce back from an awful game against the Clippers with energy, toughness and something that might at least be mistaken for defense.

Take out a marker, circle February 24, 2011 on your calendar. As things stand right now, it’s the most important day of the Warriors’ season. The date — the NBA trade deadline — holds significance for the entire league, but it has some extra meaning this year for the Warriors. It’s one day shy of the end of an epic home stand, with the Warriors playing 17 out of 20 games in the friendly confines of the Arena. And regardless of how things go during that very favorable stretch of schedule, it should be the end of the honeymoon period for the Warriors’ new ownership.

Good defense can create offense. Unfortunately for the Warriors, bad defense can also prevent it. Against the Clippers Sunday afternoon, the Warriors struggled to keep their opponents away from the basket without fouling, then struggled to keep their starters on the court due to the resulting foul trouble. With the Warriors’ core players on the bench for long stretches, the team never had a chance to settle into any sort of offensive flow. If Golden State is going to discuss the playoffs with a straight face, they’re going to have to do a lot better than this against bigger, stronger opponents.